Address
Mailing Address
Contact
Phone
563.547.5125
It is our mission to promote wildlife and habitat in the Cresco area by supporting the community with events and education about conservation of the natural landscape in our beautiful state. Where sportsmen and sportswomen enjoy hunting, fishing, trapping, and other outdoor activities her in Northeast Iowa.
some Annual events include…
- Hunter Safety Classes
- Spring Fish Fry
- Dollars for Scholars
- Smelt Fry in April
- Farmer/Sportsmen’s Appreciation Banquet
- Display at Howard County Fair
The Wildlife Building at the Howard County Fairgrounds is where meetings are held. Membership meetings are held the 2nd Monday of the month while the Board meets the 4th Sunday every month.
Membership is open to anyone with an interest in promoting wildlife and habitat. We have over 300 members and are always looking for more.
History and Information:
Incorporated in 1946, the Cresco Wildlife Club has its beginnings as a local gun club in the 1920s which traveled far and wide competing in Trap shooting. Today the Cresco Wildlife Club has over 300 members and is still involved in shooting-sports with a very active indoor .22 range and the new Gooder Field where trap shooting, archery and precision .22 rifle matches are held.
Youth involvement in these shooting sports is the Club’s passion. The Cresco Area Clay Crushers use Gooder Field as their home field.
Hunting and fishing rights are at the core of the Club’s values and by supporting these outdoor activities through Conservation programs, sportsmen will enjoy the harvest of Iowa’s wildlife for generations to come.
With this in mind, the Club’s scholarship program is geared towards supporting students furthering their education in Conservation with donations to Dollars for Scholars as well as the Club’s own scholarship program. Thanks to the Sunday BINGO crowd, the Club has a healthy scholarship fund.
The clubhouse is on the Howard County Fairgrounds and hosts a variety of fundraisers open to the general public during the winter months with a chicken fry, fish fry, and more. There is a smelt feed for members, and the showcase event of the years is the Farmers/Sportsmen’s Banquet to show appreciation to landowners who give permission to Wildlife Club members to hunt and fish on their property.
The clubhouse is available as a rental for family reunions, graduation parties, wedding, etc and is available to youth groups such as 4-H and Boy Scouts at no charge.
During the MIGHTY Howard County Fair there’s a full complement of members who host the aquarium exhibit showcasing Howard County’s many native fish. Numerous local kids help the DNR officers retrieve the fish from Vernon Springs. A wide variety of donations of taxidermy fish, deer, ducks and bear exhibits are always an exciting sigh for kids young and old.
The 40 Gun Raffle and the Annual Gun Show are always popular. Both events attract people from well outside the area who share a passion for the outdoors and shooting sports. Like every organization, the amount of effort from volunteers who pitch in together is a vital part of the success of the Cresco Wildlife Club.
Check out our site for upcoming events and information
Rental Info
The Wildlife building is available for rental. Please call 563.547.5523 or 641.257.9345 for more information.
Rates
- $75 for Members
- $100 for Non-Members
- $50 deposit required
Prices and contacts are subject to change.
Cresco Wildlife Club is a proud member of the Cresco Area Chamber of Commerce and accepts Cresco Chamber Dollars.